"The kingdom of heaven is like to leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, until the whole was leavened." [/b]--Matt. 13.
If the holy faith to which we have been called shall aid us in gaining salvation,
then we must live in accordance with its dictates and allow its truths to influence the principal powers of our soul, namely, reason, the affections and the will. Hence I maintain: If the powers of the soul, reason, heart and will are to be so strengthened that we may be enabled to live upon earth as true children of God, then they must be thoroughly penetrated with faith, just as flour is penetrated by the leaven and converted by it into tasteful bread.
Mary, thou who didst believe and thus didst become a Mirror of Justice during thy stay upon earth, pray for us that holy faith may in like manner penetrate our souls and our whole life! I speak in the most holy name of Jesus, to the greater glory of God! Faith penetrating our soul gives light to the mind. It is the first thing necessary in aiding man to lead a life pleasing to God. To this purpose not only must faith enlighten the mind, but it must, so to say, penetrate it, that is, it must influence our very thoughts and wishes. We must keep before our eyes the aim and end for which God created us, and ever bear in mind all that He demands of us if we would make progress upon the path of salvation, and at last in the joys of eternal life reach the goal, which is God Himself.
It is true that he who has the happiness of possessing virtuous and Catholic parents learns while a child the commandments of God and of His Church, and all that He has done to save mankind. But alas! this faith, this knowledge acquired in early youth, often influences but little after life. The reason of this is, that such knowledge is merely superficial, that it is merely a work of memory; it does not penetrate the soul, as leaven does the flour.
That our soul may be thoroughly illumined with the light of faith, we must think of its teachings not only during time of prayer and while in church, but at all times and in all places must we look at the things of this world by its holy light, and regard them only as means for enabling us to serve God and do His holy will. Hence it is our duty to take the utmost pains to recognize our vocation; and when this is accomplished, to try and discover what are the opportunities which it affords us to glorify God by good deeds in the fulfillment of our duties and in the salvation of souls.
This will become clear to us if we study the common tenor of our lives here on earth, and at the same time notice the feelings of our heart. As everyone knows, our life is passed in work, cares, suffering and joy. To be penetrated with the Holy Spirit as flour is with leaven does not mean only to confess with the lips the truths of faith, but also to manifest them in our actions. It means to work for something better than temporal goods, and to think of something higher than the desire of bequeathing to our children a rich heritage to enable them to take a high position in the world. In this manner the heathens live and act. Christians who thus live look upon life in the light of the children of the world, who regard wealth, honor, and enjoyment as having intrinsic value, and who devote all their energies to procure them for their families and for themselves.
Have we not reason to marvel when we see children of the Church, whose lips profess all that our holy faith teaches of the aim and end of man, and of the twofold eternity, who protest even their readiness to shed their blood for the faith; is it not, I say, a subject of wonder to see these children of the Church as covetous and as sensual as the irreligious and the heathen?
What is the reason of this? It is because faith does not penetrate their souls as leaven does the flour. It dwells upon the lips and influences not their lives, their wishes or their actions.
I have just remarked that our lives are passed in cares, joys, and sorrows. If from these we expect to draw profit for a future life, our cares must be borne as holy faith teaches us, with entire trust in God. Sorrow must be accepted as coming from His hand, and patiently endured for His glory; and in the same spirit must we accept our joys.
We should be so penetrated with the light of faith as to be able to proclaim with truth before God and man, that wealth or poverty, health or sickness, honor or ignominy, a long life or a short one, are indifferent to us provided we serve God and save our soul. But few children of the Church think or act in this manner; faith does not penetrate their reason.
Such should be the sentiments of our heart were it imbued with holy faith. It is by no means sufficient to believe that Christ redeemed us by His death upon the cross; that He exhorted us to follow in His footsteps, and that there is no other way to follow Him, save the way of the cross! These truths must penetrate our hearts and minds.
And as regards the happiness of this life, though the curse of sin has changed the paradise of earth into a vale of tears, there are yet left many innocent joys to refresh man's heart. But if we would enjoy ourselves in the proper manner, and gain merit for heaven, we must ever remember the words of the Apostle: "Rejoice, rejoice at all times, but in the Lord!" This the Christian does when, instead of imitating the heathen and thinking only of sinful gratifications and passing pleasures, he seeks after those innocent and holy joys which relate to God and to his union with Him in the life to come.
Lastly, faith must also penetrate and leaven our will. To effect this we must not only recognize and believe that our sanctification is the will of God, we must also actively co-operate in its fulfillment. To this end we must adopt good resolutions and keep them faithfully and inviolably.
Faith must penetrate our minds and strengthen us to open our hearts to the Lord, in order that we may receive not only a few graces from on high, but all those which God from eternity destined for our salvation. May we use them faithfully, and say with St. Paul: "I can do all things in Him who strengthened! me."
Lord, I believe, but increase Thou my faith, that it may penetrate all the faculties of my soul, and make me live according to Thy holy will! Thus let us pray with real fervor of soul and correspond with the graces that this petition brings us; then shall we be an honor to the Church and faithful disciples of Christ! Amen!
"The kingdom of Heaven is like to leaven, which a woman
took and laid in three measures of meal."--Matt. 13.
The mustard seed, of which the Lord speaks in today s Gospel, and also the leaven which, when mixed with the meal, works unseen, are a figure of the many and powerful graces that come to us from the hidden life of Christ. Certainly the whole life of our Lord and every word with which He instructed mankind are replete with graces for our sanctification.
But there are three mysteries especially, where the power of grace is most wonderful, but where, too, its workings are most concealed. I allude to the Incarnation of the Lord, His hidden life in the most Holy Sacrament, and His death upon the cross. Happy they who by meditating on these three mysteries of the Lord are penetrated with their spirit, for they will be animated with an eager desire to follow their Lord.
Mary, thou who wast so united with thy Son in these three mysteries, and who wast sanctified by their influence, pray that we may be inspired with devotion towards them to the sanctification of our soul! I speak in the most holy name of Jesus, to the greater glory of God.
The great importance, in regard to our salvation, of meditating on the above three mysteries of the hidden life of Christ is clearly shown in the lives of the saints. They all had an especial devotion for these three mysteries which elicit with invincible power the adoration of the faithful. The first mystery is that of the Incarnation, the mystery of the hidden union of the Son of God with our human nature, and of His birth.
Children are easily penetrated with the fervor of devotion which this mystery imparts. How they love to linger around the manger of their Lord! The great benefit which grown persons derive from meditation on these holy mysteries, is the love and esteem of the virtue of humility. What more forcible picture of humility can we have than the infinite majesty and perfection of God hidden under the form of a little child. Although the Incarnation of Christ is the reflection of all the other virtues of the divine Heart, yet it teaches us in a special manner humility. St. Paul says of Christ: "Being in the form of God, He debased Himself, taking the form of a servant, and in shape found as man."
There is nothing of more consequence in our spiritual life than genuine humility. Without humility virtue has no foundation; without humility there is no increase of divine grace, no growth in holiness; without humility our salvation is constantly in danger.
If by practising virtue and following Jesus we hope to work out our salvation, humility must breathe in every aspiration of our soul, and penetrate our thoughts, desires and actions. What would it profit us, if, while apparently distinguishing ourselves by our virtue and good works, the worm of pride, were secretly gnawing at their core? Such works would be worthless in the eyes of God. Instead of choice fruit, they turn out to be vile husks.
Our humility, further, must not be satisfied with eliciting a few acts; it must penetrate all our doings, and leaven our whole being. The mystery of the hidden presence of Christ in the Most Holy Sacrament refers to a no less important disposition of the heart. Not only does the hidden sacramental life of Christ recommend most emphatically this same virtue of humility, but it admonishes us also to sanctify our inner life by prayer, which we ought to practise so constantly and esteem so highly, that from a mere duty it passes to a real need of the soul, just as breathing is a need of the body. Further, we must pray in such a manner that our soul in reality ascends to the Almighty, resting in communion with Him, and uniting us to Him. This was the case with the saints, who by their union with God tasted here upon earth the joys of heaven.
This union with God is especially promoted by familiar, loving intercourse with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. The Church herself in her acts of thanksgiving at the Mass in honor of the Most Holy Sacrament refers to this effect of a worthy Communion when she prays: "Let us, O God, share in the eternal fruition of Thy Divine Majesty, as is foreshadowed here upon earth by the reception of the Holy Eucharist." Happy the soul that is conscious to itself of only living here on earth to be in the company of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament! She becomes the abode of Christ, and can exultingly exclaim with St. Paul: "I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me."
As food gives strength and life to the body, so the Most Holy Sacrament, the Manna of Heaven, is intended to strengthen our soul. The third mystery in which the; divinity of Christ is entirely hidden is the mystery of His passion on the cross, when He cried out: "My God! my God! why hast Thou forsaken Me?"
The suffering of Christ upon the cross was not really necessary for our Redemption; for, one word spoken in our behalf, while He was yet in the womb of His Blessed Mother, would have been abundantly sufficient. He suffered in order to show His love for us and to give us an example, to induce us, for love to Him, to suffer unto death all that Providence may send us in order to test our fidelity. To impress upon us this truth, and to remind us that we, the children of the Church militant upon earth, will celebrate one day her triumphs in heaven, Christ insists with such solemn emphasis: Those who will follow Me, must carry their cross daily. Yes, not only carry it daily, but hourly, so that love of the cross may penetrate and leaven our whole soul, all our actions, our entire life; that just as the children of the world desire only termporal well-being, we, as followers of Christ, place ourselves as children in His fatherly arms and find consolation in showing Him by our patience and resignation in suffering the greatness of our faith, hope and love, and our desire to follow our crucified Lord upon the way of salvation.
Accordingly there is here a likeness between the order of nature and of grace. God as the Creator of the universe hides Himself; we do not see Him, but the workings and forces of nature manifest His presence, power and majesty. Just so Christ, as the source of divine grace, is hidden in the kingdom of the Church. But the dispensations and effects of the graces which He bestows prove His presence, His power and His love. The saints lived and worked after His example. The full greatness of their deeds is still hidden, and will not be revealed until the day of judgment.
Bessed those who are penetrated with the hidden grace of the three grand mysteries of Christ; the miracles of divine love will be revealed in them by their ever-increasing zeal to follow in the footprints of our Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ! Amen!
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